Bogota, Colombia - Overview and Essential Travel Information
by cctraveler2 at TravelPost
Most visitors begin their trip to Colombia in the capital: Bogotá. Also known as Santa Fe de Bogotá or Athenas of South America. The city is set at an altitude of over 2700 m (>8000 feet) with high ranges of the Cordillera to the east. You may need some time to adjust to this altitude, especially if you are coming from lower parts of the country or flying in. Most of the sights of the city are in the historic central neighborhood of La Candelaria. The Plaza Bolivar is a one of the principal squares and it is where the seat of government is located. The buildings around it are built in colonial style with wide-eaved balconies. Nearby is the cathedral which is worth a visit. Bogotá’s most breathtaking museum is the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum). For more information on this museum and others visit our museums section. Downtown Bogotá with shops, offices and bank is also an interesting area to stroll around. Most of the best hotels are located in the North of the city. The same applies for the better restaurants. Possible day trips from Bogotá include a trip to the salt mines of Zipaquira ), where you would find a whole cathedral built inside the salt mines. SIGHTS Bogota has many sights. Most of the are in the old part of town, also known as La Candelaria. Most churches and museums are located around the Plaza Bolivar. See the sections churches and the one about museums for more information. Quinta Bolivar The Quinta de Bolívar is a good example of typically Spanish architecture and today houses a museum with objects and documents that belonged to the Liberator Simón Bolívar. Monserate Monserrate is a mountain in the city of Bogota with a church on the top. The views are great.hendrickx : Bengt Kindgren: A must see if you are ever in Bogota. With one of the best views over the city Monserrate is not only a church but you will also find a flee market and of course food. Do use sun screen up there as it is 3100 meters above sea level. vanja: I dont now Lucia Ullrich: Monserrate is a must-visit location because of the awesome cable ride up the mountain, or the challenging stairway hike. The view is spectacular, romantic, and the church is beautiful as well as the artesanias that you can buy up there, and the food. Banco de la Republica Containing one of the world’s richest collections of gold and emerald jewelry and artifacts of the pre-Columbian era this museum is an absolute highlight. It is located on the premises of the Banco de la Republica. The museums exhibits more than 30.000 pieces of gold work. Museo de arte moderno The museum has existed since 1955 but was loacted at different places. It has been at the present address since 1985. With 4 floors of modern art, rhe surface of the museum is over 500 sq. meters. The musuem has a good collection of works of colombian artists such as Botero, Manzur, Grau, Villamizar, Negret, Alvaro Barrios, Ana Mercedes Hoyos and María de la Paz Jaramillo. GETTING THERE By air Most visitors enter the country by air. The airport is located 11 km from the centre. There are two terminals. The national airline is called AVIANCA. The terminal Puente Aereo is used by them mainly for domestic flights and for connections to the United States. Artesanias de Colombia Next to the Iglesia de las Auguas Cra 4, No 18-60 is a state owned store with many handicrafts. Unicentro Big shopping centre, take the Unicentro bus from the centre north on Cra 10. norma: It is a good place because you can find; not only sops, but cinemas, restaurants, banks etc... Libreria Aldina Good bookshop on Cra 7, C 70-80, with many English books. GMC Galeria Minas de Colombia Good place to buy some jewellery, gold or emeralds. At the foot of the Monseratte on c20, No 0-86.
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